An artificial intelligence (AI) road safety trial in the West Midlands has recorded almost 19,000 driving offences in just two weeks, leading officials to express surprise at the scale of driver non-compliance.
The pilot scheme, which used AI camera technology at two locations in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, identified a significantly higher level of risky driver behaviour than anticipated, according to Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.
Among the incidents captured by the cameras were a driver holding a mobile phone with both hands instead of the steering wheel, and a front passenger observed holding an unbelted child on their lap. Dozens of other images documented children travelling in vehicles without the necessary age-appropriate restraints.
The images were collected in March from cameras positioned outside fire stations in Ladywood, Birmingham, and Fallings Park, Wolverhampton. At the Ladywood site, the technology identified 11,045 potential non-use of seatbelt offences and 1,163 potential mobile phone use offences. In Fallings Park, 6,030 potential seatbelt offences and 757 potential mobile phone offences were recorded.
Mr Parker described the trial's results as "frankly shocking," stating: “The number of people risking their own lives and the lives of others, including some very young children, is frankly shocking and far higher than we expected when setting up the trial.”
He emphasised the clarity of existing laws regarding seatbelts and mobile phones. “I’ve met families who have lost loved ones to reckless driving. They never recover from these tragedies, the grief is always there. People need to stop doing this, it is simply not worth the risk,” he added. Mr Parker pledged to use "every resource available, including new technology like this," to enhance road safety as the results are reviewed by the area’s road safety partnership.
The trial was funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and undertaken in collaboration with West Midlands Police and the local fire service.
Simon Foster, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and chair of the area’s road safety partnership board, expressed deep concern over the initial findings. “Let me be absolutely clear: reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads remains our absolute top priority,” Mr Foster stated. He confirmed that the trial results are being closely evaluated to determine how this advanced AI technology could be implemented for future police enforcement. “We cannot tolerate reckless behaviour that puts lives at risk, and we will use every effective tool at our disposal to ensure our roads are safer,” he added.
It was clarified that no follow-up enforcement action is planned as a direct result of this specific trial, which was designed to establish the potential prevalence of illegal phone use and the lack of appropriate child restraints.
Mat MacDonald, West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner, highlighted the gravity of the identified offences. “Mobile phone use at the wheel and failing to wear a seatbelt are two of the leading causes of death and serious injury on our road network, and yet you barely have to leave your front door before you see someone taking these potentially lethal risks,” he said. Mr MacDonald reiterated the commitment to tackling these behaviours, stating: “Our work with this cutting-edge technology shows we will stop at nothing to stamp out such behaviours.”
According to WMCA data for 2025, mobile phone use was linked to 32 deaths on UK roads, while unbuckled seatbelts were associated with 133 deaths. In the West Midlands specifically, approximately 2,000 motorists are fined and given penalty points annually for driving while using a mobile phone.
